Never Forgotten
by angelsinstead
Summary: Sam McCall is separated from her husband Jason and expecting a baby very soon. Sadly, she doesn't know if the baby belongs to her husband or his evil twin brother Franco. Her situation becomes very complicated when John McBain offers to help her discover the paternity of the baby she carries. What will Sam's haunting dreams reveal?
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is crossover story includes several OLTL and GH characters as well as their storylines. This story is based off the hit soaps One Life to Live and General Hospital, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or General Hospital or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. This story is AU.

*~o~*

"Thank you for taking me to my doctor appointment today, John. It really means a lot to me," Sam said as they stood outside her room at the Rendezvous Motel.

"You're welcome, Sam. I am glad I was able to help in some small way, even if it wasn't all that much," responded John.

"Are you kidding? You've done sooo much. You got me Franco's DNA samples from the FBI crime lab. You made it possible that I could get a paternity test on my baby to see if Jason or Franco is this baby's father," Sam said as she placed her hand on her protruding tummy.

"You've been here for me through everything. And you've been a wonderful friend," Sam stated as she hugged him tight.

John kissed her cheek as his arms lingered around her in a hug. "I should let you get some rest," he said as he pulled away and began walking toward his room. "Sleep well, Sam. And I'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks again," she said as she unlocked her door and entered her motel room.

Once inside, Sam turned off the light and slipped her shoes off her swollen feet. As she sat down on the edge of the bed, true exhaustion struck her. Very soon the results of her amnio would be back, then she would know if her child belonged to Jason or the man who had supposedly raped her, Jason's twin brother Franco. Placing a hand on her tummy, Sam whispered to the little one sleeping in her womb, "Don't you worry, Baby. It doesn't matter who your daddy is... because I love you. I am going to be the best mommy I can to you, no matter what those results might say. You're still my baby... and I love you."

Sam undressed and slipped on a materity nightgown. She yawned as she crawled into bed, switching off the lamp on her bedside table. As usual, she spoke to the baby who began to stir the minute she was settled. "Go back to sleep, little one. Your mommy needs some well-deserved rest." After awhile, Sam closed her eyes as she began to drift off.

She felt as though she were floating on a cloud as her dream took her away. In the dream, she wasn't pregnant. She was as slender as ever and she was walking through what appeared to be a thick carpet of fog. "Where am I?" Sam asked as she came into a room she did not recognize.

There was nothing there but a bed. She sat down on it's edge as cool breeze blew the long white curtains which surrounded her from every side. "John?" Sam called out because she could somehow sense his presense.

She heard footsteps and her heart started to pound. "John, is that you?" she asked urgently.

She looked up and she saw a face staring down at her. It was John... but yet it wasn't. The man staring at her had ivory fangs and his eyes were blood-red.

"No! NOOO!" Sam screamed as she tried to run from him. She was running through the fog, trying to escape, but her steps were taking her no where.

Suddenly she was back in her room at the Rendezvous Motel, and there was a man standing over her bed. He was smiling as he reached out to place his hand upon her protuding stomach.

"Remember me," he spoke to her in a whisper. "Remember this..."

Sam looked at his face and saw something there. His eyes appeared to be glowing with a bright, unnatural light. "No... no! It can't be you!" she was sobbing.

She was crying and thrashing around on the bed when John burst into her room. He caught her in his arms as he did his best to soothe her. "Sam! Wake up! You've had a nightmare," he urged her.

Sam opened her eyes to see John looking at her with tenderness and concern. "John," she said as she held onto him tightly.

"What is it, Sam? What was your dream about?"

"It was you. You were in my dream..." she whispered. "But it wasn't you."

"It was just a dream, Sam. Only a dream. You've been under a great deal of stress... and you need to go back to sleep," John urged her.

He tucked the covers around her and prepared to leave, but she wouldn't let him. "Please stay with me, John. I'm frightened."

John sat down beside her and held her hand in his. "I'll stay till you fall asleep," he soothed her.

"Thank you, John," she said with a heavy sigh as a small smile curled her lips.

"Rest well, Sam," John whispered as he stayed right by her side. Finally, Sam drifted off to sleep. This time the dreams didn't come to take her.


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is crossover story includes several OLTL and GH characters as well as their storylines. This story is based off the hit soaps One Life to Live and General Hospital, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or General Hospital or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. This story is AU.

*~o~*

Sam had arrived at General Hospital to get the results of her amnio. She waited in the exam room as Dr. Lee came in carrying the test results. After Dr. Lee had closed the door, Sam began to question her. "Is Jason the father of my baby?" Sam asked hopefully. "What did you find out from my tests?

"Sam, you better sit down," Dr. Lee encouraged.

"Why? Is it bad news? Does my baby belong to Franco?" Sam asked as she lay a loving hand over her swollen tummy.

"Sam, please sit down," Dr. Lee urged as she lead Sam over to a comfortable chair.

Reluctantly, Sam had a seat. "What do the results say? Is the baby Jason's?" Sam questioned.

Dr. Lee shook her head. "My baby's father must be Franco," Sam concluded sadly.

"Sam, is there something you haven't told me?" Dr. Lee asked.

Sam stared at Dr. Lee in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Sam, don't get upset... but neither of the DNA samples came back as a match to your unborn child. Your baby can't possibly belong to Jason OR Franco."

"What?" Sam gasped as she looked like she might pass out. She clutched her swollen belly as she insisted to Dr. Lee, "I haven't slept with anyone else! This baby HAS to belong to Jason or Franco!"

"I'm sorry, Sam... but I had the tests run twice. Jason is not your baby's father... and neither is Franco," Dr. Lee said solemnly.

Feeling suddenly faint, Sam called out for John. Dr. Lee helped her lie down on the exam table, then went to get John who had been waiting outside in the hallway.

"I'm afraid Sam needs you," Dr. Lee told to John.

John frowned, immediately assuming the test results must have revealed bad news. "Franco's the father?" he asked Dr. Lee.

"You better go talk to Sam," Dr. Lee replied.

*~o~*

"Sam, I am here," John said as he took her hand in his. "Are you alright? What did Dr. Lee say?"

"Jason isn't the father of my baby," Sam said weakly.

"He isn't? Ohhh I am sorry," John said as he placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Is there anything I can do for you? Something I could get you?"

"John, you don't understand..." Sam said as she placed a hand over the large mound which was her baby. "The test results show that Franco isn't my child's father..."

"What?" John gasped in disbelief. "How- how can that be?"

"I don't know..." Sam said as tears filled up her eyes. "But Franco drugged me... and I blacked out for awhile. We thought HE had raped me... but do you suppose that ... that someone else came in and they...?"

"Ohhh my God!" John cried out in horror.

"I don't know who this baby's father is..." Sam said in a little whimper as she held onto John for support.

"Sam, I need to get you home... and into bed. You've had a terrible shock and you need some rest," John said to her.

"Will you stay with me?" Sam asked him. She was afraid to be alone, because she feared those nightmares may return.

"Yeah, I'll stay... until you fall asleep," John promised.

"Thank you, John. You're a wonderful friend to me," she said as she kissed his cheek.

*~o~*

When John took Sam back to the Rendezvous Motel, they met up with Jason. John had his arm around Sam's waist as he led her to her room. When they saw Jason in the hallway, they stopped in their tracks.

"Well, don't you two look rather cozy," Jason said as he shot John a glare.

"Jason, what are you doing here?" Sam asked wearily.

"I came to see you," Jason responded. "I heard you were getting the test results today."

Sam nodded, though she really didn't feel like repeating the news to Jason. She was dead on her feet as she fought off waves of light-headedness.

"So, am I the father?" Jason questioned.

"Maybe I should go back to my room so I can give you two a little privacy..." John offered as he attempted to walk away.

"No, John, please don't leave," Sam said as she grabbed onto his hand.

"Answer the question," Jason prompted. "Am I the father of the baby?"

"No, Jason. I'm sorry; you're not."

A look of pain settled over Jason's face. "It's true then. My asshole of a brother raped you... and he got you pregnant..." he uttered.

"Jason, you don't understand..." Sam said as she clung even tighter to John's hand. "The truth is... we don't know who this baby's father is..."

"What? What are you talking about Sam?" Jason demanded.

"The DNA test results showed that you aren't my baby's father... and neither is Franco," Sam stated as she leaned in closer to John, needing his support.

"Maybe it was McBain who knocked you up then. You're always around him," Jason said with disgust.

"That's enough," John growled. "Don't talk to Sam like that!"

"You're going down, McBain. When you least expect it," Jason threatened.

"Will you two stop it? Just stop it!" Sam cried out while she clutched her tummy. Suddenly her eyes closed and she crumpled at John's feet, collapsing from over-exhaustion.

"See what you've done!" John bit out as he knelt next to Sam. "Stay away from Sam, Jason. Or I swear you'll regret it."

Lifting Sam into his arms, John carried her to his motel room. He would protect Sam no matter what it cost him. And he wouldn't let Jason Morgan stand in his way.  



	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is crossover story includes several OLTL and GH characters as well as their storylines. This story is based off the hit soaps One Life to Live and General Hospital, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or General Hospital or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. This story is AU.

*~o~*

When Sam's eyes fluttered open, John was standing over her, gazing at her in concern. Lightly he caressed her cheek. "Are you alright, Sam?" he asked. "You collapsed earlier."

"I- I am fine," she replied. "I think the shock of finding out the DNA test results was too much for me... plus that argument I had with Jason. I haven't been sleeping well lately either. The baby is so restless... and I have been having strange dreams."

"Are you sure you and the baby are alright?" John asked her with a worried expression.

"I'll be fine, John. I just need a little rest."

"Would you like me to help you back to your motel room now?"

"Yes, after a good night's sleep, I am sure I'll feel much better," Sam stated as she allowed John to help her up out of bed. "Thanks for taking such good care of me."

"Anything for you, Sam," he said as he brushed a soft, tender kiss upon her forehead. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier with Jason."

"It's not your fault, John. He just doesn't understand the bond that has developed between us... and the DNA test results came as a great shock to him as well," Sam stated. "I still don't know what to think of those results. Who could have fathered my baby?"

"I don't know, Sam... but I hope you'll have all the answers in time," John said as he took her hand and walked with her toward her motel room.

Once he had her settled into bed, he covered her with a blanket. "You're amazing, John McBain. Do you know that?" she said with a little smile. "Is taking care of pregnant damsels in distress your specialty?"

Once again, John kissed her forehead. "Among other things," he replied. "Sleep well, Sam."

"Thanks," she said as he turned off the light and quietly left her motel room.

Sam turned over in the bed and placed a hand upon her bulging tummy. "Go to sleep, little one," she spoke to the baby who was kicking her. Despite the active baby moviing her womb, Sam fell asleep almost instantly.

*~o~*

She was lost in the cadence of another dream. "Come with me. You can be mine forever," he told her.

"I can't go with you, Caleb," she said to him. "I belong here... with Jason."

"But you love me. You said you'd be mine forever," he spoke as a look of great sadness came to his bright blue eyes.

"I do love you, Caleb... but I can't stay with you. Not here. This isn't even a place. It's only a memory," Sam said brokenly.

"No, it's not. It's EVERYTHING," he said as he took her in his arms and kissed her.

She couldn't refuse him as he pressed his lips against hers with great passion. She wanted Caleb. She wanted to make love to him again.

"Caleb, I want you," she said as she came up for air.

"One more time," he said as he lifted her into his embrace and carried her over to his bed. The white drapes flowed in the breeze as he ripped her clothes to shreds and lowered his body onto hers.

"Caleb!" she gasped as he slipped inside her.

Staring up into his bright blue eyes, Sam was lost in this moment with Caleb. One last time together was all they had, so they had to make it last forever. "I love you, Sam," he said as he surged inside her and joined their bodies as one.

"I''ll never forget you, Caleb," she spoke as he took her to the heights of ecstasy. He was the man she'd love forever, even if he was from another place and time.

"I'll leave you with a little something to remember me by," he promised as he spilled himself inside her.

*~o~*

Sam awakened with her heart pounding in her chest. "John?" she murmured as she remembered the man in her dream. Was he John... or someone else?

Who was Caleb? And did he REALLY exist? Was Caleb the man who had fathered her child?

Sitting up in bed, Sam pressed a hand to her distended stomach. "Ohhh my God!" she gasped when she felt an intense pain move through her. Was that a contraction? Was she going into labor?

"John!" she screamed when she stood up and a trickle of water moved down her legs.

The baby was coming. Sam was about to deliver her child.


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is crossover story includes several OLTL and GH characters as well as their storylines. This story is based off the hit soaps One Life to Live and General Hospital, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or General Hospital or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. This story is AU.

*~Chapter Four~*

"Bound through the? ages, in a compact eternal, keepers and guardians of each other's flesh and bone...together, we are complete." - The Vows of Caleb and Olivia

*~o~*

Sam was gasping for breath as another contraction tore through her middle. She finally summoned the strength to call out for John. He rushed into the room and pulled her into his arms. "What is it?" he asked her frantically as he saw the look of desperation upon her face.

"It hurts!" she murmured as she held onto his arm. "The baby. It's coming!"

John's gaze moved down to Sam's swollen middle. It was then that he noticed the small puddle of liquid at her feet. Obviously, she was in labor and her water had just broken. He had to get her to the hospital fast. Tenderly, he wrapped a blanket around her and lifted her into his arms.

"We gotta get you to the hospital," he said to her in a comforting voice. "You're going to be alright. Both you and the baby are going to be alright."

"John, I can't lose this baby. I can't lose another one. My little girl- she died," Sam sobbed. "She was stillborn."

He was carrying her down the hallway and headed toward the stairs. He looked down at her as he held her close. "That's not going to happen this time. I won't let it. I promise you, Sam," he said as he placed a kiss atop her head.

He hurried down the staircase with Sam in his arms. At this hour, the motel was virtually deserted. Most people had been in their beds for hours now. All was quiet except for the storm raging right outside. Thunder crashed as intense lightening lit up the sky. "John?!" Sam cried out as he stepped through the lobby and headed over to the door. When he tugged it open, the fierce wind ripped it right off it's hinges. Sam let out a scream as a freezing rain pelted her face.

"Dammit!" John exclaimed. There was no possible way he could carry Sam out to the car due to the weather. He'd have to take her back upstairs and call for an ambulance. Hopefully he'd be able to get her to the hospital before her child was born.

Sam was crying as John tried to soothe her. "It's alright, Sam. I need to get you back upstairs where you'll be warm and dry... and then I'll call for an ambulance."

"There's no time for an ambulance, John. My baby's coming... now!" she said in a painful gasp.

John rushed up the stairs, two by two as he carried Sam back to his room. He lay her down on the bed as she clutched her swollen stomach. "Ohhh God, it hurts!" she whimpered.

John got some towels and a few clean sheets as he did his best to make Sam comfortable. "Do you feel the urge to push?" he asked her.

"YES!" she responded. "You gotta help me, John. This baby's coming now!"

There was no time to call for an ambulance. Sam's baby would not wait. Her contractions were coming as fiercely as the wind and the rain right outside the window. She let out an intense scream of agony as John eased away the blanket he had wrapped her in and slid her nightgown up to her waist.

"I'm going to check you... to see... " he murmured. He barely had a chance to remove her panties when Sam began to push.

"Ohhh my God, you're right. The baby's coming. I can see ... the head..."

"Please let my baby be alright..." Sam said in a sob.

"This baby will be fine, Sam. I promise," John said soothingly. "Now look at me... Look. I am going to help you."

He took her hands in his as she bore down with all her strength. "That's it. You're doing beautiful," John encouraged her. "We're going to see your baby soon. Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"

Sam just shook her head. She was in so much pain, she could not talk. All she wanted was for her precious baby to be alright. She wanted to see and hold this baby as she never got to hold or cuddle her precious Lila.

John continued to talk to Sam through the ordeal. He told her how beautiful she was and what an amazing mother she was going to be to her new baby. Tears rushed down Sam's cheeks as she continued to push her child into the world. As lightening cast it's light into the room, Sam's baby was born into John's hands.

"It's a girl... and she's beautiful," John said as he wrapped the infant in a towel. "She's absolutely gorgeous... just like her mother."

He smiled at the baby and then he gently laid the tiny, dark-haired bundle into her mother's arms. "Ohhh my God, she's so adorable," Sam said as she kissed her baby girl's cheek.

The tiny girl continued to cry as Sam cuddled her. "You did wonderful, Sam. You were so brave," John said as he held her hand and smiled at her and her baby girl.

"This little girl didn't want to wait for us to get to the hospital," John spoke as he looked down at the infant in Sam's embrace. "I guess she wanted to come right in the middle of the storm. What are you going to name her?"

"I'd like to call her Arabella," Sam stated. "Thank you, John. Thank you so much for saving my little girl. You were there for me when I needed you most. You always are. I will never forget what you did for me and Arabella."

The smile widened on John's face as he gazed at Sam's daughter. The child's eyes opened and stared right into his. "Wait. Her eyes..." John spoke as a strange expression came to his face.

Sam too noticed the baby's eyes. They were just like...

"Her eyes are just like mine," John said incredulously. "The exact same shade of blue."

"They are..." Sam agreed as she too noticed the baby's eyes. They were an exact replica of John's.

Sam felt uneasy when she realized the connection. The baby's eyes were exactly like John's because John looked exactly like Caleb. "John, can you get me and Arabella to the hospital now?" Sam asked. "I want to make sure my baby girl is alright."

"I'll call for an ambulance," John said as he pressed a tender kiss to Sam's forehead. With one last fleeting look at the sweet baby in Sam's embrace, John reached for the phone.


	5. Chapter 5

***~Chapter Five~***

Sam and baby Arabella arrived at the hospital by ambulance. John had refused to leave Sam's side. He held her hand when the EMTs brought her into General Hospital on a gurney. "The little one couldn't wait?" asked Dr. Lee as she met them in the lobby.

Sam looked down at the tiny raven-haired bundle in her arms. "She was anxious to meet her mommy," Sam said with a tender smile.

"She's beautiful," said Dr. Lee. "Let's get Mommy and Baby into a room and check the two of you over."

"John," Sam said as she grabbed onto his hand.

"I'll be waiting right out here," he promised as he brushed a kiss on her forehead. He stared into her eyes as they wheeled her away. His connection to Sam and the baby was so strong that John actually felt physical pain as soon as they were out of sight.

*I've fallen in love with Sam,* John thought to himself. *This is TORTURE. If I can't have her, I am gonna lose my mind.*

John was waiting in the hallway when Jason Morgan approached. "Is this Sam's room?" Jason asked as he gave John frigid stare.

"Yeah, the doctor is in there with her. And the baby."

"The baby? Sam had the baby?" Jason said with surprise. "I heard she was in the hospital. I had no idea she had the baby."

"She went into labor late last night. I couldn't get her to the hospital in time because of the storm. I helped her deliver the baby right there in my motel room."

"Are Sam and the baby alright?"

"They'll both be fine. Why are you here to see Sam?"

Before Jason could answer, Dr. Lee walked out into the hallway. "Mother and Baby are both doing very well," Dr. Lee said to John and Jason. "You can go in and see them now."

Jason didn't say anything, but John stood up, eager to see Sam. "She's been asking for you," Dr. Lee said to John before she walked away. Jason sent John an angry glare when he heard Dr. Lee's words.

Jason and John entered Sam's room to find her lying in the bed, cuddling her newborn daughter. "How are you doing?" John asked as he crossed the floor and stood next to Sam.

"I'm doing great," she said as she couldn't help but beam in happiness at the little miracle lying in her arms. "And so is this precious little princess."

"She's a beautiful baby," Jason spoke up... and in that moment, he really wished that the baby had been his.

"Why are you here, Jason?" Sam asked.

"I came to give you this," he said as he came forward and lay the divorce papers on the bed. Sam looked down at the documents in shock. Once she signed on the dotted line, her marriage to Jason would be over.

"I- I don't know what to say," Sam responded in a pain-filled voice.

"I'm sorry," Jason quipped. "I wish it didn't have to be this way." With those words, he turned and walked away.

"Don't go!" Sam called out, but it was too late, Jason had walked out the door.

Tears flooded Sam's eyes as a sob tore from her throat. John took her hand to comfort her, but he could find no words to soothe her. "John, I need you," she spoke in a sad little voice.

Tenderly, John drew her into his arms and held her, lovingly carressing her hair. During their hug, Sam wrapped her arms around John and in the process, she had taken a single strand of his hair. She hid it in her hand, holding it tightly as he drew back from the embrace.

"Thank you for being there for me," Sam said as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"I'd do anything for you and for Arabella," he stated. "Anything."

That evening after John had gone back to the motel, Dr. Lee came in to check on Sam and baby Arabella. Sam asked Dr. Lee, "Is my daughter alright? Did everything check out... 100% normal?"

"Yes, she's perfectly healthy and completely fine," the doctor assured. "What's bothering you, Sam? Do you have cause for concern?"

Sam frowned as she caressed the ebony hair upon her infant daughter's tiny head. "I need you to do another paternity test," Sam said to her doctor. "I want you to compare this strand of hair to my daughter's DNA." She held out the strand of hair she had been hiding in her palm.

Dr. Lee took the strand of hair as she looked at Sam in puzzlement. "We've already done three DNA tests on your daughter," she stated.

"Yes, I know," Sam replied. "But this test will be the most important one of all."

*~o~*

The next afternoon, Sam and the baby were about to be released from the hospital. The nurse had Sam in a wheelchair as she held her beautiful daughter in her arms. "Are you ready to go?" John asked as he smiled at her and little Arabella.

"Yes. I am ready," Sam replied. "But before we go, I have one question. Who exactly is Caleb... and who is he to you?"

Staring at her in a state of shock, John could not find the words to reply.


	6. Chapter 6

***~Chapter Six~***

"Caleb?" John repeated when he finally found his voice. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about-."

"Don't lie to me, John," Sam said firmly. "I want the truth... and I want it now."

John had just pushed Sam's wheelchair onto the elevator and the doors had closed, leaving them in perfect seclusion. No one could hear their conversation. Sam waited for John to answer her questions as she held Arabella in her arms.

"Are you talking about Caleb Morley... also known as Michael Morley and Steven Clay?"

"You need to tell me everything you know about him... and what his connection is to you," Sam insisted.

"He's my ancestor. I was doing research on my family tree, and I came across a lot of interesting tidbits... along with his portrait," John stated. "It would seem that he looked exactly like me."

"Yes, exactly," Sam agreed.

"What do you know about him? Supposedly, he was from a long line of vampires from Transylvania. There were reports that he resurfaced in Port Charles many years later. He fell in love with a woman by the name of Olivia Locke."

"What happened to him? And what do you know about the woman?" Sam inquired.

"Maybe I should just show you myself. I have all the information in my motel room. I even have a copy of his portrait."

"I'd like to see it."

"Alright, as soon as we get back to the motel, I will show you everything I have on Caleb Morley."

Sam nodded as she looked down at the precious infant in her arms. She needed some answers... and she needed them now.

*~~o~~*

Later after she had Arabella settled in her bassinet, John dropped by with the material he had gathered on Caleb Morley. The first thing he showed her was the copy of Caleb's portrait. A gasp came from Sam's lips when she viewed his shocking resemblance to John. "You could be his twin!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, he does look like my doppelganger. It's eerie. I wouldn't want to be him - a bloodthirsty creature of the night."

"Do you believe he was really a vampire?"

"No," John said as he looked upon the portrait. "But there is so much about his existence that does not make sense. How did he show up Port Charles all those years later? And what happened to him? Nobody knows."

Sam glanced over at the bassinet where her daughter lie sleeping. She wanted to confide in John her fears and suspicions, but she did not dare. John was Caleb's descendant. What exactly did that mean? What was the connection between John and Caleb?

"Do you have a picture of Olivia?" Sam asked.

"No, but I am sure we could find one at the library. If you want to go with me to check it out, maybe we could ask your mom or one of your sisters to babysit," John suggested.

Sam hesitated. She wasn't eager to leave Arabella so soon, but she had to have some answers. Who was Caleb? And how did he come to her in her dreams? Was he the man who had fathered her baby girl? And what was John's connection in all of this?

"Yes, I will call my mom on my cell phone. We can take Arabella over to her place, then we can go over to the library," Sam agreed.

"Alright, it's a date then," he said as he stuffed Caleb's picture back into the folder where he kept it with all the other information he had gathered.

Sam didn't say anything as she got her little girl ready for the trip over to her mother's. She kissed the top of her daughter's satiny head as she placed the tiny bundle into her car seat. *I am doing this for you, Little Princess,* she whispered to her daughter in her mind. Was Caleb Arabella's father... or...?

With a strange expression on her face, Sam stared at John. "Are you ready to go now?" he asked her as he grabbed Arabella's diaper bag as though he'd been doing it all his lifetime.

"Yes, let's go get some answers."

*~~o~~*

At the library, Sam and John accessed old newspaper articles about Caleb Morley's alleged "return" to Port Charles and the accusations that he was a vampire. There in black and white, they saw a picture that was even more startling than the portrait of Caleb. "She looks exactly like me!" Sam gasped when she saw the photo of Olivia Locke. "Your ancestor who looks exactly like you fell in love with a woman who looks JUST like me."

John was too stunned to say anything. Together they read the article, describing how Caleb had terrorized all of Port Charles, turning people into vampires. "He was evil," Sam said as a shudder moved through her.

She remembered the man who had held her and made love to her in her dreams. He hadn't appeared evil... then. Did her baby belong to this horrific demon?

"What is it, Sam?" John asked as he looked at her in concern. "You're shaking. You seem so upset."

"John, there is something I have to tell you. It's about Arabella..."

"What about Arabella?" John asked.

Sam was just about to share with John her fears and suspicions when her cell phone rang. She grabbed it quickly and took the call, fearing it might be Alexis calling about her daughter. But it wasn't Alexis. It was Dr. Lee calling from the hospital. With a trembling hand, Sam pressed the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Sam, it's Dr. Lee. I put a rush on your baby's DNA test just as you requested. I have the results back, and I need you to come to the hospital."

"Alright. Thank you, Dr. Lee. I will be there in a half hour," Sam stated.

After Sam had ended the call, John asked, "What did Dr. Lee want?"

"John, I need you to go with me to the hospital."

"Why? What is this about?" he questioned.

"Just go with me," Sam insisted.


	7. Chapter 7

***~Chapter Seven~***

Sam and John arrived at General Hospital and approached Dr. Lee's office. "Why are we here?" John asked. "Talk to me, Sam. Why did Dr. Lee call?"

"I will explain everything soon," Sam replied. "Just wait right outside. I need to talk to Dr. Lee."

"Alright," John said with a sigh. He watched as Sam disappeared into Dr. Lee's office. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was fairly sure it wasn't good.

When Sam entered Dr. Lee's office, Sam began asking about Arabella's paternity test. "What did you find from the DNA sample?" Sam questioned.

"Sam, you better sit down," insisted Dr. Lee.

"Ohhh no, not that again. I'll be fine, Dr. Lee. Just tell me, what did you find when you compared my daughter's DNA to that sample."

"The sample was a perfect match," Dr. Lee explained as she looked at the results. "The DNA from the strand of hair is a perfect match to your daughter's."

"Does that mean...?" Sam asked breathlessly.

"Whoever supplied that strand of hair is the father of your child."

"How... how can that be?" Sam said in a little gasp.

"How - how can this be possible?" Sam asked absently.

She'd never been with John, but she'd had dreams of making love to Caleb who was supposedly John's ancestor and looked EXACTLY like John. In a state of shock, Sam looked outside of Dr. Lee's office and called out for John.

"John, come in here. I need to talk to you," she insisted.

"Look, I have another patient. I'll give you two some privacy," Dr. Lee said before leaving her office.

"What's going on?" John asked as he entered Dr. Lee's office and saw the look of confusion stamped across Sam's face.

"John, I gave Dr. Lee your hair sample. I took it the other night in the hospital... when I hugged you," Sam began to explain.

"Why would you do that?" John asked.

"Just listen..." Sam said breathlessly. "I gave her the hair sample and I asked her to compare it to Arabella's DNA."

"Again, why would you do that?"

"Dr. Lee says that your DNA turned out to be a perfect match to Arabella's. YOU are the father of my baby," Sam revealed.

"What?" he gasped. "I can't be. You and I have never..."

John was flabbergasted. "Sam, I did not father your child. I have never slept with you."

Sam walked over to Dr. Lee's desk and showed John the test results. He saw it there in black and white. Staring into John's deep blue eyes, Sam asked, "How do you explain this then?"

"I- I don't know how to explain it."

"John, I think this has something do with Caleb... and your connection to him. I- I was having dreams about Caleb and making love to him when I was pregnant with Arabella," she admitted. "At first I thought it was you ... but then I called him Caleb. You and he are so much alike, but then I realized it wasn't you."

"I am not Caleb," John stated. "And there's no way he could be alive. He was my ancestor, and he lived well over a hundred years ago."

"John, you have to face it," Sam said. "Caleb's a vampire."


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: This is a VERY short chapter, but I hope you like it. _

***~Chapter Eight~***

John just shook his head as he stared at Sam in disbelief. "Sam, I am not Caleb. I am not a vampire. I did not father your child."

"I don't understand any of this... but you must admit, it's very strange how you look like Caleb, I look like Olivia, and my child has YOUR DNA. How can your DNA perfectly match that of your great, great, great grandfather?" Sam asked John.

"How do you know that Caleb was a vampire?" John asked.

"I saw his fangs. He bit me... when we made love," Sam replied.

"He made love to you in a dream... and he got you pregnant?"

"It was more than a dream... it was everything..." Sam stated. "John, if my child's father is a vampire... then what about Arabella? Will she become a vampire, too? Will she have special powers?"

"I don't know, Sam. I don't understand any of this... but I believe you're telling the truth. Considering the paternity test shows that I am your child's father, I will help you protect and care for her. I will treat her as though she IS my child," John replied.

"Sam, when will your divorce with Jason be final?" John suddenly asked.

"In a couple of weeks, I think. Why do you ask?"

"I want you to marry me."


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Another short chapter... but at least I updated!_

***~Chapter Nine~***

Sam stared at John in disbelief. "Marry you? Are you crazy? We aren't lovers. Why would I marry you?" Sam demanded.

John took Sam's hand in his as he spoke to her calmly. "I want to be Arabella's father. I want to protect you and that little girl," John replied. "I know we aren't lovers. But I have feelings for you. Very intense feelings."

"Do you want to be my lover?" Sam asked as she gazed into his bright blue eyes.

There was a pause, then finally, John answered. "Yes. I am drawn to you. I always have been. I need you, Sam. Say you'll marry me and let me be Arabella's father."

"Yes, I will marry you," Sam said almost as if she were in a trance. She couldn't stop herself; she was as drawn to John as she was to Caleb. She realized in that moment that she was falling in love with John McBain.

Sam slid into John's embrace, surrendering her lips to his in a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her like a man starved. After a few minutes, he finally came up for air.

"Let's get married tonight, Sam," John urged. "I want to get married now... Tonight."

"You don't want to wait?" she asked. She was touching her lips which were slightly bruised from John's kisses.

"No, I don't want to wait," he told her. "Let's get married now."

"Okay," she agreed as she placed her hand in his.

John felt instant relief. It was as if he feared he'd lose her forever if they didn't get married now. He couldn't lose Sam or Arabella. They both meant far too much to him.


	10. Chapter 10

***~Chapter Ten~***

John didn't want to wait. He insisted Sam marry him just as soon as her marriage to Jason had been dissolved. They were wed in a simple ceremony at the court house by the Justice of the Peace. After the ceremony, John made arrangements for their stay at a Bed and Breakfast outside of Port Charles as he could not wait to consummate their union.

Sam could not help but feel a little stunned by how fast things were moving. She was falling for John so fast and furious, yet she felt nervous about their wedding night and everything their life together may entail. She had been through so much; she had just ended her marriage to Jason. She wasn't even entirely certain who had fathered her infant daughter. The DNA tests had shown that John was her child's father, but Sam and John had no recollection of ever having been together.

"Alright, John," Sam agreed. "I will go with you to the Bed and Breakfast... but only if Arabella gets to come. She's so tiny and defenseless... and I wouldn't want to leave her so soon."

"Of course we will take her with us," John responded. "I wouldn't want to leave my daughter behind."

For a moment, Sam was taken aback by his reply. It was so strange to hear John state that Arabella was his daughter... but biologically he was her child's father. John adored Arabella already and wanted to raise her as his own. Sam knew that John would protect her little girl with his life.

They arrived at the Bed and Breakfast with sweet, little Arabella in tow. The infant hardly made a peep when they settled her down to sleep in her bassinet in the living room area of their suite. After tucking Arabella in, John lifted Sam into his embrace and carried her off to the bedroom.

"I've been longing to make love to you for so long, Sam," he whispered into her ear as he lay her down on the bed. "You're all I think about."

She pulled him down on the cool cotton sheets beside her. "John, I need you," she said as she wound her arms around him.

No words were spoken as they kissed and caressed and began to remove each other's clothing. Once they were naked, John spread tender kisses all over the column of Sam's neck. "Thank you for marrying me," he whispered. "Thank you for letting me be Arabella's father. I love you, Sam McCall. I have fallen in love with you."

She looked into his stunning blue eyes and her heart melted. John loved her. In that moment, she realized that she loved him, too. She had been fighting it far too long, because she had been afraid of being hurt again. She didn't want to lose him as she had lost Jason.

"I love you, too," she murmured. "But I am scared."

"There's nothing to be scared of, Sam," he said in quiet reassurance. "I am going to keep you safe. You and Arabella."

He pulled her against his naked body as his lips settled onto hers in a passionate kiss. All thoughts were swept away as their hearts and souls combined. They made love feverishly, until Sam could take no more. Her breath came out in sharp little gasps as John tried to soothe her.

"Sleep, my love," he whispered.

He caressed her hair lovingly until she fell fast asleep in his arms. When darkness descended outside, he disentangled his body from Sam's and left the bed. Moments later, he stood out upon the balcony as Sam lie sleeping in their bed. The moon shone down on John McBain as he breathed in the cool evening air. It was at that moment that he looked up to see a vision of himself transcending from the clouds.

He frowned in confusion as his own image confronted him. A strange sensation then rocked him from head to toe as his body was invaded and the _Other_, the one that had come from the clouds above, slid into his body.

A smile came to the face of the man standing on the balcony. He was no longer John. He was _More_.

He returned to the bedroom and stood over Sam as she was sleeping. With a tender caress, he ran his scorching touch over the curve of her breast. Her nipple hardened as he toyed with it.

"Caleb?" she whispered. She had awakened to see a hint of red aglow in the bright blue depths of his eyes.

"I'm back, Sam... and you are mine," he stated as he bent forward and his fangs sunk deep into her neck.


	11. Chapter 11

***~Chapter Eleven~***

Sam trembled as Caleb drank from her. She tangled her fingers in his thick dark hair as though to hold his smooth lips tighter against her flesh. "Caleb," she moaned as he pulled away.

Caleb licked the blood from his lips as he gazed down at her. His eyes were ablaze with red-hot passion. "Did you miss me, Sam?"

"I need you..." she heard herself murmur.

A sexy smirk settled on his face as he lowered himself onto the bed. "I'm back to stay," he whispered before his lips crashed to hers.

Sam was mesmerized by his touch and his sexy kiss. He made love to her until she was weak and boneless. "You are mine," he said as he sunk his fangs deep, deep into her flesh.

*~~o~~*

When morning light flooded their suite, Sam awakened. She remembered everything. She had passed out when Caleb drank from her.

"Ohhh my God!" she gasped. "What have I done? I- I betrayed John."

She slipped on her silken robe and left the bedroom. When she entered the living room, she saw Caleb standing over Arabella's bassinet.

"No, no!" she cried out. "Don't touch my baby!"

"My daughter," Caleb spoke as he lifted the infant into his arms. "She's so beautiful."

Sam felt waves of dread as he tenderly held her little girl. She knew without a doubt that Caleb had overtaken John's body. She didn't know what to think of him.

"Please don't hurt her," Sam pleaded.

"She's our daughter," Caleb said as he stared down at the lovely face of the precious child. "I would never hurt her."

"I love her so much," Caleb revealed. "And I love you, too."

"Wh- what about John?" Sam asked. "What have you done with him?"

"He's still here," Caleb stated. "But I am stronger. And I am your husband now. You're mine forever, Sam."


End file.
